Captain Paul

Paul Branovici was born in a small village by the shore of Lake Razim. When he was just a boy, he used to sneak out of the house and spend countless hours fishing on the Danube canals.

Years went by and the little boy turned into a coxswain on transoceanic ships. He wandered through the Seven Seas for a long time and finally he decided to come back home.

After endless quarter watches and some entrepreneurial ventures, Paul managed to save up some money. He invested all his gain into a rusty boat bridge, used by the communists for cane harvesting.

With the help of his family, one year later, Paul turned that rusty wreck into a magnificent four star floating hotel, a genuine pearl of the Danube. He named the ship Anda 1 and the vessel functioned for about 14 years, after which Paul had to refurbish it again. Now it’s even more shiny and welcoming than it was on its first days of glory.

After giving the boat its first facelift, Paul started organizing fishing parties with groups of amateurs and professionals. Then, he invited over some photographers and in the end, he organized tourist programs for all of them. In time, he added team buildings and nature photo sessions in the wilderness.

And finally, guests who believed that New Year’s Eve inside the Delta can be awesome, started to show up.

In 2005, Anda 1 couldn’t manage the endless reservations and requests of groups from inside and outside the country. So Paul literally emerged a shipwreck from the bottom of the Danube, and turned it into another fabulous floating hotel in less than 365 days. He’s probably looking for a future Anda 3 right now, so he may call it a small fleet.

Paul often accompanies his guests in long walks, photo sessions and fishing parties. He loves being a guide for birdwatchers and an advisor for professional fishermen. He knows where all the good bait is and where the big fish are hiding. Basically, Paul is some sort of walking encyclopedia of the Danube Delta. When he’s into storytelling, the captain becomes unstoppable, since he’s got a lot to say and even more to show. He knows all crooks, bends, lakes and villages, by the back of his palm. As he personally states: “not even a cricket can lay eggs without directly reporting to me”.

Whatever cruise you may choose, Paul comes along as a bonus: captain, cox and full time guide. He’s the heart of the party and a charming narrator, who can easily take Twain and Swift on the backseat. A boat ride on a full moon night, with Captain Paul alongside is one hell of a bucket list experience